Thoughts on Star Trek
by ArgentNoelle
Summary: Essays, ideas, and other random musings from my notebook.
1. Kirk & Spock in The Wrath of Khan

After I watched The Wrath of Khan for the first time, I wrote about it in a notebook, which I ended up filling with thoughts about Star Trek. This is some of the contents of the notebook:

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James T. Kirk and Spock in The Wrath of Khan

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Why the difference between Kirk's attitude toward the Enterprise, in TMP and TWOK? In TMP he wanted to get the Enterprise/a ship back so badly he would do almost _anything_, but in TWOK he says he has no interest in getting back his command.

I think, what happened, was this. In _The Motion Picture_ Kirk finally got the Enterprise again, and he wanted to keep her—he was hopeful that he'd find a way—like he said, he doesn't like to lose. But it didn't work—they took her away from him again, just when he'd finally allowed himself to hope—and the only way to bear it was to pretend he didn't care. That he didn't want her. Because wanting her [the Enterprise] was too hard knowing he'd never have her. But it was killing him, the pretending—he had fooled himself into believing the pretense because it was the only way to survive but it _was_ killing him, only slowly, fading away.

And that is what everyone realized but him. Spock knew, and Bones. And they tried to show him, but he couldn't see, because as long as he didn't see, he didn't ache so much—it was only when Spock died that he realized what Spock had been trying to say.

Striking/beautiful/meaningful details (some of which come in threes): the "feeling old" that changed in the end to "feeling young"; the book that was a birthday present from Spock, "A Tale of Two Cities"; and the Kobayashi Maru.

The first time you saw it was in the simulation; the second time when Kirk told how he'd cheated to win it, and out of a no-win scenario reveals what was up his sleeve all the time; and the third when Spock dies.

The first time in the simulation set it up: it says, sometimes there is such a thing as a no-win scenario—as a statement, that is as yet unproven either way.

The second time contradicts the first, showing that there are always options, the no-win scenario is a lie, there is always a way out, a way to cheat death.

The third time turns the victory on its head, and shows for the final, and first, time, that, sometimes, there _is_ such a thing as a no-win scenario.

And what Kirk realized was that he had never faced death, had never _really_ believed in a no-win scenario; he believed, like Spock said, that there were always options.

When Spock died, he said, "I never took the Kobayashi Maru until now. What do you think of my solution?" Spock realized that for once there _was_ no winning card. And through that, Kirk also realized it.

Oh—and creepy thing—in the beginning of the movie after the simulation Kirk said to Spock he should be 'dead'—he was killed in the scenario. And in the end he was killed by it again, only this time literally. In the beginning it was a joke, in the end the farthest thing from it.

And still, the humor stayed till the end—right before Spock goes into the radiation chamber he argues with Dr. McCoy about going in, just like they always do—and even though you know what he's planning its unexpectedly funny, and heartwarming.

Actually, the three no-win scenarios and Spock's death are connected—in the first, it was the no-win scenario that killed him. In the second it was Kirk who was in danger, Spock who wasn't there—and his absence is a greater symbol than his being there. He is not there, but [because of that] he saves Kirk. And in the third, the same thing happens—he saved everyone, he saves Kirk, but he dies. In all three times, he is not there. The first time he 'died;' the second he was gone, absent—literally, saving everyone's lives; the third he really died, saving everyone again, and connected with that is absence—loss. Emptiness. And in the end McCoy says "he'll never really be dead, as long as we remember him." And that is both—the loss and absence of Spock gone, and yet in a way, the feeling is the opposite as well—it's a new day, and as long as we remember him, he'll be with us.

So there are three more details: the absence of Spock. He was absent when he saved Kirk from inside the Genesis experiment, only his voice is there. And he was absent when he died, and after, at the funeral and in Kirk's quarters. And he was absent—yet present—at the end, as the sun rose.

Maybe you could also call it the presence of Spock—he was present by voice in saving Kirk from Genesis, he was present behind the wall of the radiation chamber, saving the ship and then being miraculously alive when he should have been dead—again, present yet removed—he was behind the wall, only his voice went through. And in the very end, after the movie finished, they had the "Space—the final frontier" speech—in the _end_, not the beginning—and it was _Spock_ who said it. And the speech itself was different—it was the _continuing_ voyages of the Enterprise—a hopeful word, an _it's not really the end_ word—and he paused in "Where no man—has gone before." Captain Kirk never paused there. It seems almost as is he is speaking of himself as he says it, as if _he_ is somewhere no man has gone before—not dead, but exploring new worlds.

And also, there is significance in that Spock says the speech at all—it was always Kirk who said it. It's no longer someone speaking into the ship's log, it's no longer quite so literal in meaning. It's spoken by someone quite apart, and yet there—as if he were watching over the Enterprise.

About death: in the beginning it was Kirk who was dying and Spock who was alive; in the end, Spock died, and in doing so, allowed Kirk to live. But Spock knew something Kirk didn't—"the way you face death is just as important as the way you face life" and unlike Kirk, who had been dying but couldn't face death, he _could_ face it, and he did, and because of that, in the end, he was alive.

Because he faced death of his own free will, and accepted it to save others, he may have died, but his spirit was full of life. A contradiction, it's true, but it was Kirk who was in danger of dying; Spock was not.

Because, you see, it was Kirk's _spirit_ that was dying in the beginning, and was saved in the end, and it was _Spock_ who's spirit never died, even to the end.

Random note at the end of the page:

The Blu-Ray trailer for this was REALLY good! [Not the old one] I mean, _amazing_. As much a work of art as the movie itself.

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	2. The Paradise Syndrome and the 2009 movie

Part 1: Spock in Star Trek the new movie

Part 1 1/2: Spock quotes from the new movie

Part 2: TOS The Paradise Syndrome and other stuff

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Spock in 'Star Trek' (the new movie) [written after I watched it and kept thinking about how lonely Spock seemed.]

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Spock would have known that if he lived a normal lifespan, he would still be alive when all his friends were dead. Maybe that was what he really wanted when he gave his Katra to McCoy—to rest in peace. He found it easier to die, because it _was_ easier for him—better than being alone. They would all give their lives for one another, but what if you could do nothing but watch as your friends grew old and died? That was why Spock was so happy at meeting Kirk, and why I think he felt OK about staying in the past. He had nothing left in the future.

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Quotes I liked which are a bit funny:

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(about giving advice to people in the past)  
Kirk: but, that's cheating!  
Spock: [something like] a little trick I picked up from a friend of mine.  
(…that is, Kirk. The other one.)

And also:

Spock (alternate universe): you lied?  
Spock (normal universe): I implied.

And

Spock (to Spock): Since my customary farewell would appear oddly self-serving, I shall simply  
say, 'Good luck.'

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Thoughts on 'The Paradise Syndrome' and other things [written sometime… I don't know when]

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The Paradise Syndrome is unique. In most episodes, it takes up hardly any time—this one goes over a few months! My favorite parts are the scenes in Spock's quarters/room/whatever they call it on a starship, for one they're really well filmed, and it's got new music that fits _perfectly_. It's really got _art_ there. It might be the most beautifully filmed scene in the whole series. And, like in 'The Gamesters of Triskelion' you have him trying to find Kirk, something that doesn't happen too often—though in "The Gamesters of Triskelion" he actually found himself at a loss for what to do—and you get the idea he doesn't like the feeling. He always knows what to do—his logic always shows him the best way to go—but here, he's helpless. And he doesn't like it. At all.

Also, here Kirk gets in a strange position too—of not knowing who he is. He knows things, but he doesn't know how—in his dreams, he sees faces of people from the sky, people he should know. Yet at the same time, he's so much at peace—for once _he's_ not the one everyone is looking to for a miracle. Except they are—so maybe he's cursed that way.

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End file.
